ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) - A northwest Iowa man has again been sentenced to four years in prison for beating an 11-year-old boy.
Sioux County District Court records say 37-year-old Matthew Spaans was resentenced Monday.
The Iowa Appeals Court in December ordered a resentencing after ruling that the trial judge considered an improper factor a year ago when sentencing Spaans the first time.
Spaans and his wife, Nina Spaans, of Hawarden, pleaded guilty to four counts of child endangerment. She received a four-year suspended prison sentence and was placed on two years’ probation.
Court records say Matthew Spaans beat his stepson with his hands, a 56-inch sword and another item. The documents say the boy was told to make up stories about his bruises or his next beating would be worse.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.